The End of Fear is Where We Begin
by iGoToExtremes
Summary: "Finn, you're my oldest friend. You mean very much to me, more than some immature kissing game." AU high school Finchel. It's complicated... until it's not. Now multi-chapter and rated M.
1. Chapter 1

**Greetings, Earthlings. This story is AU, but I think the circumstances are all pretty self-explanatory. Title is from the Goo Goo Dolls song "Let Love In." I've spared you the intra-story lyrics this time. I don't own the song or any of the Glee characters.**

**Thanks to Hailee for the prompt and Emily for betaing. Hope you all enjoy.**

* * *

Rachel stood in front of the bathroom mirror, taking her hair out of the big hot rollers and arranging the waves so that they fell mostly around her shoulders with a few curly tendrils framing her face.

Her heart fluttered when she heard the doorbell ring, followed by cheerful conversation amongst the deep male voices.

"Rachel! Finn is here!" her Daddy called up from the living room.

"Be right down!" she replied, smoothing gloss over her lips.

She grabbed her sweater and purse and took a deep breath before beginning to descend the stairs, careful not to trip in her heeled sandals.

"There she is!" Daddy said, standing from the couch and walking towards the base of the staircase, Finn right behind him. He was wearing dark jeans and a fitted black polo shirt that emphasized his broad shoulders.

"Hey, Rach," Finn greeted her with his usual pleasant grin. "You look nice."

"Thanks. You too." She tried her hardest not to blush as she looked up at him. (She still wasn't quite used to how _**far**_she had to look up at him since his growth spurt the previous year.)

"Well, you kids have fun tonight. And remember _Rachella_, home by 12."

"Thanks, Mr. Berry."

They started the walk to Noah's house in silence, and she noticed Finn actively slowing his stride so that they could walk at the same pace. For a split-second their hands brushed incidentally and she tried to ignore the shiver it gave her.

"What's wrong?" Finn asked after they'd walked about a block.

"Hmm?"

Finn snickered. "Rachel, we've known each other since we were 5, and this is the first time I've _ever _heard you go 3 minutes without talking. _So_, tell me - what's buggin' ya?"

Rachel sighed, kicking the ground a little with her next step. "I guess I just don't feel like I fit in with everyone who's going to be at this party," she said quietly. "Noah only gives me the time of day because his mother and my papa know each other from the synagogue booster club. And I'm sure he invited all the cheerleaders, like Quinn Fabray who hates my guts."

In response to that sneering comment, Finn chuckled. "Rach, you've gone to school with her for less than a week. How can you be so sure that she hates you?" Without waiting for an answer he playfully wrapped an arm around her shoulder as they kept walking. "Besides, I'll be there. I'll introduce you to the guys from football and the other cheerleaders and you'll be good to go. It'll be totally cool, I promise. Okayy?" he insists, giving her a little squeeze before withdrawing his arm.

"Okay..." she said, exaggerating her resigned tone, and he laughed.

At least she'd successfully deflected the conversation away from the issue that was really bothering her.

* * *

An hour later, Finn had gone off to play some drinking game with the other jocks, and Rachel found herself in a corner of the kitchen with Artie. They knew each other from their mutual involvement in musical extra-curriculars, not that they could engage in much discussion on the subject given the volume of the house party that was underway. Rachel had been nursing a wine cooler in the hopes that it would make the situation more tolerable.

"Hey, you! Dwarf from my history class!"

It took her a minute to make out the words being yelled in her direction.

"Me?" she asked, vaguely looking around. The shouter was one of the cheerleaders Finn had tried to introduce her to earlier.

"Yes, you and Wheels there. We're playing spin-the-bottle and we need more people. Chop chop!" She motioned for them to follow her before stalking out of the kitchen.

The sharp-tongued Latina (whose name Rachel hadn't caught) led them into the living room, where people were starting to assemble in a circle. Finn caught her gaze from across the room and gave her a little nod. She smiled and nodded back... until she noticed Quinn Fabray hanging off of his arm while carrying on a conversation with another blonde cheerleader standing next to them.

Rachel looked away as quickly as she could, surveying her surroundings and situating herself on the floor between Artie and Mercedes Jones.

She tried not to be nervous, but that was difficult. This was her first high school party and she'd never kissed a boy before so she had no idea what to expect.

"Okay party people, this is my house so I'm going first!" Noah shouted, quieting everyone down. He spun the bottle and it landed on Brittany (the non-Quinn blonde cheerleader). They shared a kiss involving a vulgar amount of tongue, earning catcalls from several people in the room.

"All right Hudson, you're up," Noah insisted, playfully shoving Finn towards the center of the circle.

Finn laughed nervously as his large hand (everything about him seemed so big lately) sent the bottle spinning around on the carpeted floor. Rachel felt her heart clench in her chest as the bottle slowed to a stop.

It was pointing right at her.

Finn's eyes trailed along the bottle before locking with her own.

"Go on, Berry, you've seen how it's done." She barely heard Noah's snide encouragement over the sound of her heart pounding in her ears.

It felt like time had slowed to 10 percent of its usual speed as she scooted towards the middle of the circle, eyes still fixed on Finn's. Even after she straightened up on her knees and he sat back on his heels he was still several inches taller than her. Their struggle with the height difference made him smirk, and she giggled nervously in response.

Before she knew what was happening he was leaning down and pressing his lips against hers and they were so _soft _and fit along hers so perfectly and her first kiss was everything she'd ever imagined it would be. Time had come to a seeming standstill as Finn's mouth caressed her own, his tongue sliding along her bottom lip ever so slightly before he pulled away.

When Rachel opened her eyes Finn was staring at her from just a few inches away, eyes wide and cheeks pink. His mouth spread into a lopsided grin as they gazed at one another like they were the only two people in the world.

But then she heard Noah yelling that it was someone else's turn and saw Quinn rolling her eyes and the reality of the whole situation came back to her.

For the duration of the game she had trouble looking in Finn's direction, especially when he had to kiss that ice queen Quinn who made a big show of gripping his shoulder like she owned him.

Rachel lucked out in that the only other person she had to kiss was Kurt Hummel, who seemed entirely disinterested in the whole ordeal and dispensed of their obligation with a split-second peck.

After the game ended she became embroiled in a ridiculous argument with Noah over whether burping was a natural process versus an entirely impolite act that should be avoided in public at all costs. She gasped when she noticed that it was already 11:50, and she was at risk of disobeying her curfew if she didn't get home soon. She excused herself, bidding those around her good night before exiting the house.

"Rach! _Rachel!"_

Her breath caught in her throat when she heard her name being called by an all-to-familiar voice.

"What? Oh, hi, Finn," she said quietly when he caught up with her at the end of Noah's block.

"'Oh, hi'? That's all you have to say?" His voice bore equal bemusement and irritation.

"What else am I supposed to say?" she asked, feigning ignorance as she slipped her arms into her sweater, pulling it up over her shoulders and buttoning it in front.

"Don't you think we should... talk, or something?"

It's better this way, she told herself silently as they kept walking and she avoided eye contact with him. "Talk? About what? A silly kiss during spin-the-bottle?"

"Are you... are you saying it didn't mean anything to you?"

She noticed the hint of hurt in his tone but tried not to think about it.

"Finn, you're my oldest friend. You mean very much to me, more than some immature kissing game." Having reached the foot of her driveway they'd stopped walking, and she turned to face him. "It was a very nice kiss, but it's still just you and me. Do you understand what I mean?"

He chewed his lip uneasily. "Um, yeah. I guess."

Unable to look at his winsome face any longer, Rachel glanced back at her watch. "I really should get inside. Good night, Finn." She touched his elbow gently before she turned away.

"G'night, Rach," she heard him say softly, causing her heart to flutter as she let herself into her house and tried not to sob.

* * *

_Thwack._

_Thwack._

_Thwack._

The next morning Finn lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling, tossing his football up in the air and letting it smack down onto his chest.

The faint throbbing he was starting to feel on the outside didn't come close to the ache he felt on the inside.

"Finn? Honey?" his mother called softly as she opened his door, first a crack and then all the way when he didn't respond. "You okay?

"Fine." _Thwack._

Finn kept staring at the ceiling, but out of the corner of his eye he caught his mother studying him cautiously. "All right. I'm going on a few errands. Call my cell if you need something.

"Okay." _Thwack._

He'd honestly never thought about it before, him and Rachel being more than friends. They'd basically been _best_ friends since the beginning of time. Or, at least since he and his mom moved in two houses down from the Berrys right before kindergarten. The arrangement worked pretty well since his father died and Rachel had 2 of them. And since she wasn't in touch with her birth mother he was always willing to share his mom, as part of the deal.

So they were always buds growing up and he never thought that would change. But it had changed, now that they were in high school and Rachel was wearing lip gloss and curling her hair and generally looking so _pretty._

And the kiss. Oh _man, _that kiss. Just thinking about it made him feel like a helpless pile of goo. It had felt so new and strange and different and yet so perfectly _right_.

Except apparently it didn't mean anything to her.

_Thwack._

* * *

On Monday, Rachel wasn't waiting for him on her front porch for their usual walk to school. Frowning, he rang the doorbell.

"Good morning, Finn!" Leroy Berry said cheerfully when he opened the door, before his face fell. "Rachel left for school around 20 minutes ago; something about getting to the choir room early to practice her scales. She didn't tell you?"

Finn tried to hide his disappointment. "Nah, but it's fine. Thanks, Mr. Berry."

She avoided him the rest of the week, going to school early for one reason or another and dodging him whenever they might have passed each other in the halls. After school he was busy with football practice and Rachel with her slew of music and academic activities.

Brad Miller, one of the junior linebackers, had been giving him a ride home after practice. "Dude, you want me to pick you up in the mornings, too?" he asked one evening while idling in the Hudson driveway.

Finn gazed longingly over at Rachel's house, noticing that the light in her room was on.

They'd barely spoken in two weeks.

"Sure, man. Thanks," he responded, slamming the door of Brad's car and trudging up the path to his front door.

* * *

Avoiding someone without _seeming_ like you're avoiding him or her is hard work, Rachel's found.

Or maybe it's just hard when the person you're avoiding has been a fixture in your life for as long as you can remember.

It really didn't have much to do with the kiss, she rationalized on her walk to the music store after school one afternoon. She and Finn were in high school now, which had merely exacerbated their already dissimilar interests and predilections. He'd always been athletic and friendly and interested in the same things as most kids their age. Rachel, on the other hand, preferred classic films and Broadway soundtracks to whatever her peers wanted to watch and listen to, and she much preferred honing her musical skills to video games or purposeless socializing.

Now that they were older and had more freedom, of course she and Finn would spend more time apart pursuing their individual interests instead of attempting to entertain themselves at one another's houses under parental supervision. The transition was totally natural.

It was also natural that Finn ate lunch in the cafeteria with the other football players and cheerleaders, carousing and reveling as popular kids tended to do. Meanwhile, Rachel stole away to the music room to eat with the other kids trying to avoid being slushied by the jocks who deemed them freaks.

He deserved everything that high school had to offer for personable, handsome All-American boys, and she certainly didn't want to get in his way.

* * *

Having arrived at her destination she headed straight for the Broadway section. Although they likely wouldn't have enough people to field a competitive school glee club, she'd convinced the purported club advisor Mr. Schuester to stage a fall recital wherein interested students could showcase their musical talents.

Rachel felt safe assuming that Mercedes Jones would choose to perform something soulful inspired by Aretha Franklin or _Dreamgirls_, whereas Kurt Hummel was apt to go for a more over-the-top number _a la_ _Victor/Victoria_ or _The Boy From Oz_.

Thus, her best bet would be something from a classic Broadway musical. She started with Rogers and Hammerstein, but unfortunately nothing available amongst their works struck her as particularly inspiring. In her haste to move on to the Gerswhin catalog, she bumped into someone approaching from the other direction.

"Oh, excuse me," she said, reaching out to steady the stack of sheets she'd almost sent askew.

"Think nothing of it," answered a prim and proper male voice.

She looked up to find the speaker was a boy about her own age, with wavy brown hair and bright blue eyes.

"O-okay," she said, taken by his confident smile.

Meanwhile, he looked down at the sheet music she held in her hand. "_Porgy and Bess_? Isn't that a little arcane for someone born after 1990?" he asked.

"I don't know. Is it?" she asked shyly.

"It certainly is," he said confidently. "Allow me," he added, taking her hand and gently coaxing her down to the section marked "Sondheim." Then he began leafing through the sheet music before pulling one out.

"Ah, here we go. 'I Know Things Now' from the classic satire _Into The Woods_. Much more befitting of a cherubically beautiful songstress."

Rachel felt face turning embarrassingly red at her appearance having been complimented by a random stranger.

"I'm Jesse St. James," he said then, extending his hand.

"Rachel Berry," she replied while they shook.

"_Enchanté_," he said charmingly, kissing her hand while gazing at her almost lustily. "Would you like to get coffee with me sometime? I'd be happy to advise you on your approach to performing the song."

Rachel bit her lip, a little nervous. She and Jesse had literally just met and he was being rather forward, relatively speaking.

Still, it seemed rude to brush him off, and she was flattered by his interest.

"Sure," she answered calmly. "How about right now?"

When he grinned in response, she tried not to compare his smile to a certain someone else's.

* * *

Sunday afternoon, Finn found himself in the Berrys' driveway, helping Hiram wash his car.

This is always something they've done together, so it wasn't just a ploy to try and run into Rachel... although that would've been an added benefit.

They had almost finished the chore when an unfamiliar car turned onto the block and approached, stopping in front of the Berrys' house. A moment later a kid who couldn't be that much older than him emerged from the car and approached the driveway.

"Mr. Berry? It's a pleasure to meet you, sir. I'm Jesse St. James," he said, extending his hand towards Rachel's dad.

"Ah, yes, you're the fellow from the music store who Rachel can't stop talking about. A pleasure to meet you as well."

He cringed when Mr. Berry introduced him as "Rachel's childhood sandbox playmate", but shook Jesse's hand in an effort to be polite.

Just then, Rachel burst out the front door. She was wearing an orange dress and a brown sweater. Her hair fell in waves around her shoulders like the night of Puck's party but this time instead of lip gloss she had on a reddish-brown lipstick that really made Finn want to –

"Hi, Jesse!" she exclaimed excitedly when she reached the driveway, interrupting his thoughts.

"Rachel, you look simply radiant!" Jesse returned.

Finn had to force himself not to roll his eyes at the overly enthusiastic comment.

"Thank you, Jesse, how chivalrously complimentary. You look rather dashing yourself." Rachel abruptly turned towards Finn. "Jesse and I are going to see a workshop of scenes from Sondheim's later works at OSU. Isn't that exciting?"

She looked so happy.

Finn managed a smile and a nod.

"Well, you kids better hit the road if you're going to make it on time," Mr. Berry suggested.

"He's right, let's go Rach," Jesse agreed, taking her hand. "It was nice meeting you both." He nodded curtly, Rachel smiled even wider and waved with her free hand, and they were off.

Finn finished washing Mr. Berry's car in silence.

* * *

"You should ask me to homecoming, you know."

Finn looked up to find Quinn Fabray standing next to his locker.

"Huh?"

"We're only freshmen so it's a little unrealistic to think that we'd win king and queen, but we can use this year to establish our popularity so that next year we make a respectable showing. We'll be shoe-ins junior year when you're the starting quarterback, and then senior year we'll repeat to critical acclaim."

Needless to say, Finn had barely thought ahead to what he wanted to eat for dinner that night, let alone to a dance three weeks away and all subsequent dances for the rest of high school.

Down the hallway, he caught a glimpse of Rachel at her locker, laughing with two of her new friends who he didn't even know, probably about something having to do with _Jesse_.

Quinn rolled her eyes in response to his distracted silence. "Santana was right, you are **much **dimmer than you look." She abruptly put her hands to her hips. "You do want to be popular, right?"

"Uh, yeah, yeah I do," he stammered, closing his locker and leaning against it in an effort to look cool.

Quinn smiled. "It's settled then. My dress is light blue. Please order the appropriate corsage."

* * *

Rachel smiled and took a deep breath before beginning to sing along with the instrumental background recording she'd found online. Jesse sat perched on the edge of her bed, drinking in her performance, and she eagerly anticipated his constructive criticism that would follow once she finished.

She'd performed for Finn before, but he never had anything more to say than "That sounded great, Rach." As much as she'd tried to get her longtime friend to understand and appreciate the nuances of performance and theatricality, it usually went over his head.

Jesse, by contrast, was a junior at nearby Carmel High School and a star performer in the school's nationally renowned show choir. She was envious of the career opportunities he would inevitably receive as a result of their success, but she cringed when hearing his tales of grueling vocal rehearsals and intensive dance workouts.

Moreover, she was excited to share in life experiences with someone who had similar aspirations. They'd only been on a few dates so far, but each one had been delightful and musically-inspired and she felt very hopeful about the prospects for their budding relationship.

After finishing her run-through of the song she exhaled gently, awaiting Jesse's comments.

"Good power overall," he began, his brow knitted in concentration. "The second verse should be inflected more winsomely, and the third one with a sinister tone." He gave a few more pointers as well. "But it shows promise."

"Thank you. I'd like to ask you something now, if that's all right," she said quietly, sitting down next to him on the bed.

"That depends what it is," Jesse answered, cocking his head slightly.

"Well, the McKinley homecoming dance is next Saturday, and, um..."

"Rachel Berry," he said in mock surprise, "are you asking me to accompany you to a school dance?"

"Maybe..."

Jesse took her hands in his. "It would be my pleasure," he responded before leaning forward to place a soft kiss on her lips.

Then he abruptly stiffened and nodded towards her iPod dock. "Now let's go through your solo again. Your high B-flats aren't quite flat enough and the cadence of the chorus _must_ be improved before I leave here tonight."

"Yes sir!" Rachel shouted playfully while standing once again.

* * *

"Would you stand still, please?!" Quinn snapped at him as she attempted to re-tie his tie. "You're lucky that I know how to tie a proper Windsor knot, since apparently you're too stupid to learn it."

Finn gritted his teeth and tried to stand still for the safety of those around him, but inside he was fuming.

If Rachel were there, she'd tell him that he wasn't stupid, and that he should stand up for himse–

Hey, where the hell was Rachel? he thought, looking around the gym. His mom said she'd stopped by for hair and makeup advice the other day, so she was definitely planning on coming to the dance, probably with that Jesse jerkface.

Pulling away from Quinn, he made his way over to a few of the music nerd kids who Rachel had been hanging out with lately. A few of the girls whispered to each other nervously as he approached, quieting down once he reached the small crowd.

"If you're going to lock me in a port-a-potty please wait until Monday, after they've been pumped for the week," begged Artie from his wheelchair.

"Huh? Nah, man. I'm just looking for Rachel, thought you guys might know where she is."

"According to her Twitter it looks like she may have been stood up," offered Mercedes Jones, wiggling her iPhone a little for emphasis.

Without waiting for more details, Finn stormed toward the exit.

"Where are you going?" Quinn demanded, chasing after him.

"Look, I'm really sorry but I- I gotta go. Something came up. Sorry I can't go to this dance with you... or any other future dances."

Before she could say anything else he made off for the exit, walking quickly across the school parking lot. When he reached the road that would lead him to Rachel's house he broke into a slow jog, dress shoes be damned. Upon arriving at her doorstep he composed himself, taking a deep breath and exhaling as he rang the doorbell.

Hiram answered, sending him upstairs to Rachel's room with a knowing nod.

"Rach?" Finn said after knocking softly on her door. "Rach, it's Finn. Hope you're decent, 'cause, uh, I'm coming in."

He waited a few seconds so she had an opportunity to protest. When she didn't, he opened the door.

Rachel was sitting on her bed, a poofy pink dress on. Her makeup around her eyes was running slightly as a result of her tears and her hair was tied up in pretty ringlets.

"Rach? What happened?" he asked, trying to control the throbbing of his heart as he observed her distraught state.

"Jesse called to say that he didn't realize that the dance would be held in a school gym, and that he's on a lifelong boycott of school gyms because he hates sports."

Finn burst into laughter. "Rach? Seriously? That's not the most idiotic thing you've ever heard?"

She laughed too, through her tears. "It _is_ pretty ridiculous," she agreed, sniffling.

"So," he said, leaning over to her DVD case. "What'll it be? _Funny Girl_? _Annie_? _Newsies_? It feels like a _Newsies_ night if you ask me."

"Finn, you don't have to stay in with me."

"I want to," he offered simply as he loaded the DVD before joining her on the bed again.

"But what about the dance? And Quinn? And the natural order of high school which says that someone like you needs to—"

Before she could say any more, Finn leaned over and kissed her square on the mouth.

* * *

It was amazing. Even more amazing than during spin-the-bottle because this time they were alone and his hand came up to cup her cheek and his tongue slipped into her mouth and he inched closer to her on the bed.

"I don't care about the dance," he said breathlessly when they broke apart for air. "Or Quinn." He gave her another quick kiss. "Like, I don't hope she gets hit by a truck or anything, but she's been super mean to me and I'm just not interested. And I don't know what sort of 'natural order' high school has, but we've been in high school for six weeks, and I've known you basically my whole life."

Rachel's heart was pounding as she tried to catch her breath and comprehend what was happening. A minute ago she felt so utterly disappointed that her perfect-on-paper beau turned out to be nothing more than a self-centered prima donna. Now, though, the boy who'd always been there – who she'd foolishly tried to push away – was rescuing her in the best way possible.

"Aren't you scared?" she asked softly. "About what this means?"

"Yes. But I know we'll be okay," he answered. "It's still just you and me, right?"

* * *

**Fin.**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Hello friends. I'm a sucker for public demand and decided to continue this story.**_

_**All mistakes in this installment are my own. See previous disclaimers about non-ownership of Glee.**_

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Rachel stood in front of her open locker, trying to decide which books she needed to bring home for the weekend. She was in the middle of pondering whether getting a jump on her world history research paper was a realistic possibility when she felt a tap on her left shoulder.

She looked up in that direction, but no one was there.

Confused, she turned to her right only to smack into a tall, broad-chested figure. She barely had time to gasp in surprise before a soft pair of lips swooped down to press against her own. Long calloused fingers came up to touch her cheeks while a pliant tongue slipped into her mouth, swirling around in a lazy circle. Rachel slackened her jaw to give it better access, giggling when she felt teeth nipping lightly at her lower lip.

"Finn..." she whined playfully. "You startled me."

"Aww, I'm sorry," he offered, his hands settling at her hips while he planted a kiss on her forehead. "Can you ever forgive me?"

Rachel wrinkled her brow as though she was legitimately pondering the hypothetical question.

"Rach!" Finn protested, tickling her as a measure of coercion.

"Okay, okay!" she squealed, her small hands trying in vain to halt his attack. Thankfully, he relented, and when Rachel caught her breath he was beaming down at her with a half-smirk.

"You ready?" he asked then.

"Yep!" she said, quickly throwing the last of her books into her bag. After zipping it closed she slung it over her shoulder and linked her arm with Finn's so they could begin their walk home.

It was a Friday afternoon, October of sophomore year. Rachel had stayed after school for a meeting with Mr. Schuester, the Spanish-teacher-plus-music-advisor, about the status of various performing arts extra-curricular activities. The football team had a game scheduled for following day, which meant that in lieu of a full practice they'd just concluded a short cardio workout.

"You're coming to the game tomorrow, right?" Finn asked hurriedly. "I'm not guaranteed to play, but if we beat Van Wert we clinch a playoff spot."

"Relax, I will be there," Rachel assured, soothingly. Finn was back-up to senior quarterback Kevin Monahan, who'd played every snap so far that season. Occasionally their new coach, an imposing woman named Beiste, put Finn in at wide-out just to get him some time on the field.

"Cool," Finn said, smiling and squeezing her hand. "How was your meeting?"

"Fine," Rachel sighed. "Plans are coming along for the fall recital. Mr. Schue is on board with staging a spring musical, but he's worried that Principal Figgins will disapprove of West Side Story because of its 'gang violence overtones.' Evidently it doesn't matter to anyone that I was _born_ to play Maria," she explained with embellishment.

Finn chuckled at her dramatics. "Well, even if it's not this year, someday you'll play Maria and it'll be awesome."

Rachel blushed, beaming up at him as they continued the walk through their quiet neighborhood, crunching through unswept fallen leaves until they reached Rachel's house.

Once they arrived Rachel made a beeline for the bathroom (she's always had a notoriously small bladder) while Finn headed for the kitchen. Rachel laughed when she found him a minutes later, half a muffin in his mouth and juggling a stack of chocolate chip cookies, two apples, and a bottle of water. They climbed the stairs to her bedroom, where Finn plopped the snacks on her nightstand before striding to her stack of DVDs.

"It's my turn to pick, right?" he asked, wrinkling his brow.

"Yes, it is," Rachel answered in a resigned tone, situating herself amongst her big fluffy pink pillows. Finn grinned in victory and reached for _Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy_ before joining her on the bed.

The scenario wasn't all that different from when they were little kids, hanging out at each other's houses and trying to educate one another on their respective interests.

But they most certainly were **not** little kids anymore, Rachel was reminded when Finn stretched his long body out beside her and rested his head on her shoulder.

As had become customary over the year they'd been dating, the movie was largely a pretext for other activities. No sooner had the Channel 4 news team been introduced than Finn was looking up at her instead of at the screen, toying with the ends of her hair. Then it was only a matter of moments until he'd shifted upwards on the bed and fused their lips together.

Rachel would never be sure why she tried to deny her feelings for Finn all those months ago, because kissing him felt like the most natural thing in the world. The fact that they knew each other backwards and forwards was reflected in the way they engaged one another physically – eyes open and eager, kisses unabashedly passionate yet still tinged with a certain innocence of youth, hands wandering cautiously but curiously over rumpled clothing.

They made sure their activities were finished by 6:45, since Rachel's dads usually arrived home by 7. Sure enough, when Hiram and Leroy ascended the stairs of their home they found their daughter and her best-friend-turned-boyfriend fully clothed and lounging casually in front of the movie.

Rachel put the movie on pause as her parents perched on the edge of the bed, eagerly asking her and Finn about their day at school.

"Well, I think Leroy is going to make his famous _rigatoni alla vodka _for dinner," Hiram said with a flourish, affectionately touching his husband's shoulder. "Finn, I assume you'll be joining us?" he added as they stood.

As if on cue, Finn's stomach growled, sending all three Berrys into muffled giggles. "Uh, I guess that's a yes," the teenager answered, blushing.

"No need to be embarrassed," Leroy assured him with a pat to the knee. "I'll make you an extra portion." He winked before following Hiram out of the room.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"... and you know how much I believe in you guys, so let's go get 'em!" Coach Beiste concluded her pre-game speech before Monahan pulled everyone into a huddle. He added to her encouragement before sending up a "Go Titans!" cheer and leading the team out of the room and onto the field.

Finn felt energized, refreshed from his quiet afternoon with Rachel and nutritious meal courtesy of her dads. He considered himself pretty lucky that his girlfriend's parents genuinely liked him and enjoyed feedings him, but it also par for the course considering how long he and Rachel were neighbors and friends before their relationship turned romantic.

Looking up, he found Rachel in the stands next to her friend Mercedes, huddled up in her winter coat and hat. When he caught her eye she waved, jumping up and down and cheering a little louder than before. Seeing her there supporting him – well, the school and the team, but mostly him – made his heart leap in his chest. Sure she'd be there anyway if they were still just friends, but the fact that she was now his girl made it that much more awesome.

Finn had gotten used to his role on the team the past two seasons. During play he walked the sidelines, shouting encouragement to his teammates on the field and helping Coach Beiste with the playbook. He usually paced, mostly out of habit but also to keep himself loose and ready in case Coach decided to put him in for a play.

The game got off to a slow start, with each team's defense preventing any scoring. Toward the end of the first half, McKinley lined up with the ball at Van Wert's 30-yard line. When play resumed, a defensive tackle who looked like he was 23 and on steroids managed to fake out center Dave Karofsky and busted full speed into Monahan.

Finn cringed as his teammate hit the ground, completely flattened.

Thankfully Monahan was able to get up, but he limped through the next play, clearly favoring his left ankle. When they went into the locker room for halftime, Beiste told the senior – as gently as she was able – that she needed to sit him, for his own sake.

"Hudson!" she barked, snapping back into her usual forceful mode and turning towards Finn. "You're up."

Leading his teammates out of the room for the second half, Finn felt totally exhilarated. In that moment he finally understood what Rachel meant when she talked about how she feels before her performances.

Looking up into the stands before his first play and seeing her smiling face made it that much better.

After the game, in which he led the team to a thrilling victory and clinched playoff berth, he pointed to her so that everyone could see who inspired him the most.

That night, Finn founds himself the center of attention at Santana's celebratory post-game party. Upperclassmen teammates who'd barely given him the time of day were slapping him on the back and bringing him beers. He basically held court in the Lopez living room, politely accepting compliments while clutching Rachel to tightly to his side.

The night air was crisp and cool when they walked home from the party, still basking in the glow of the afternoon's success.

"...and then on the last play, my brain was just, like, on autopilot. I saw the snap, Azimio handed me the ball, and I just tossed it to Puck in the end zone without even thinking!"

"It was certainly impressive," Rachel said cheerfully, swinging their intertwined hands as they turned up the walkway to her house.

When they reached the front porch he turned to face his girlfriend, brushing a few strands of hair away from her face before leaning in to kiss her. The excitement of the day flowed through him and he quickly escalated the kiss from soft and sweet to heated and lusty.

"Finn..." Rachel sighed, and the back of his neck burned at the sound of her airy voice saying his name. After giving her a moment to catch her breath he leaned back in, resuming their activities with continued fervor.

"Mmm..." Rachel breathed, curtailing the kiss. "I really do need to go inside."

"Come on, Rach," he pleaded, his voice husky with need. "Your dads love me, and they trust us."

"Yes, and I'd like to keep it that way by respecting their rules and being inside – alone – by curfew," she explained, toying with the collar of his jacket. "I'll see you tomorrow for our usual homework date?"

"Uh, yeah, but I may be a little late. Puck and I were invited to play video games with the seniors at 12 so we probably won't be done by 3."

"Oh," Rachel said, clearly disappointed. "Well, just text me I guess. I'll be here."

"Okay," Finn agreed. "Good night."

He leaned in for one more kiss but his lips merely brushed her cheek as she turned and slipped inside her house.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Bye Rach! Have a good rehearsal!" Finn exclaimed enthusiastically, kissing her before peeling off towards the gym and leaving her standing at her locker.

Rachel sighed and shook her head. In the span of three days, her boyfriend had gone from a soft-spoken, anonymous underclassman bench player to the starting quarterback and toast of McKinley. She was extraordinarily happy for him; the game had been a remarkable display of his athleticism and leadership, and her heart swelled to the size of a volleyball when Finn pointed to her during the on-field post-game celebration.

She closed her locker and proceeded to the choir room, excited to be meeting up with her likeminded music friends. When she got there, Mercedes and Tina were gathered with Kurt in front of his laptop, peering intently at whatever was on the screen.

"What are you looking at?" she asked, setting her bag down on one of the nearby chairs. They had been planning on rehearsing their solos for the fall recital.

"Reviewing the National Show Choir Board registration guidelines," Kurt answered, not looking up.

Rachel's brow wrinkled in curiosity. "Why? Didn't the deadline for registration lapse two weeks ago?"

"It's been extended due to re-re-redistricting," Tina explained through her stutter.

"_And_ Principal Figgins found out that Coach Sylvester has been using the Cheerios' expense account to pay for her live-in maid. So he's recouped those funds and awarded them to Mr. Schue to fund a glee club," Mercedes went on.

"That's great!" Rachel's face lit up with up excitement before falling again. "But don't we need 12 members to compete? There are still only five of us..."

Kurt and Mercedes exchanged a serious look before looking at Artie.

"We were hoping that's where you could come in," he said, rolling over to the small group from the other side of the room.

"Me? What am I supposed to... oh." Rachel stopped thinking out loud when she realized what they were getting at. "You want me to ask Finn. And have him ask his friends."

"I think it's a great plan, personally," Mercedes began. "Remember when we were hanging out in the park last weekend? A Journey song came on the radio and Finn busted right into it. Boy can sing!"

"Also, as much as it pains me to suggest involving him, that idiot Puckerman plays the guitar so he most likely has _some _singing ability," Kurt added flippantly.

"And during Saturday's game I saw Mike Chang on the sidelines, dancing along with one of the Cheerios' routines," Artie added.

"The ch-ch-Cheerios!" Tina exclaimed suddenly. "M-m-maybe the guys can c-convince some of them to join, too!"

Rachel slumped in her seat, bring a hand to her forehead.

"What's wrong? Some of the jazz band guys agreed to sway in the background as a last resort, if we can't get enough people," Artie said.

"We really only need warm bodies. The five of us here can handle the heavy lifting, vocally, and we expect you to be a big part of that, girl," Mercedes added, shifting her chair closer to Rachel's and throwing an arm over her shoulder in a show of comfort. "Aren't you excited?"

"You guys, I appreciate your confidence in me and your enthusiasm in fielding a competitive glee club. But I'm not sure I can convince Finn to join, let alone recruit his friends. He's the starting quarterback now, so he's going to have more responsibility and probably won't be able to spare the time."

Artie scoffed. "He's the starting quarterback for the McKinley Titans, not the OSU Buckeyes or Cincinnati Bengals, right?"

"Who?" Kurt asked, earning stares from the group.

"Artie's right," Mercedes said then. "We all balance our music stuff with other extra curricular activities, and those guys can do the same. Please just ask Finn about it and go from there."

"P-please, Rachel!" Tina pleaded. "It's the only chance we have."

"All right, all right," Rachel agreed, to the excitement of her friends. "But no promises. Finn is a self-determining individual and I can't force him to do anything."

"Mmm, but you can definitely provide some incentives, if you know what I'm sayin'..." Artie drawled salaciously, earning eye-rolls from the others.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The next morning, Rachel was brushing her teeth when she got a text from Finn.

{ We have a ride 2 school! C u soon babe. }

Twenty minutes later, she found herself in the backseat of Brad Miller's car, squished between Finn and Noah. Brad's girlfriend, a junior cheerleader named Alyssa, was in the front passenger seat.

"Thanks for the lift, man," Finn said to Brad once they had pulled out of Rachel's driveway and set off on their way to school.

"Not a problem. Our new star quarterback and receiver shouldn't have to walk."

"Ehh, I don't mind the walk since I usually have good company," Finn said, tightening his arm around Rachel's shoulder and grinning at her sweetly.

"Awww..." Alyssa squealed, turning to smile at the underclassman couple.

"If Puckerman gets a girlfriend she'll need to ride on the roof," Brad quipped after a moment.

"Not going to be a problem," Puck snickered. "The Puckerone can't be tied down to any one woman. Just ask Santana and Brittany about what happened at the party on Saturday," he added, making a lewd gesture with his tongue.

Rachel rolled her eyes as the conversation devolved into further gossip about what transpired at the party.

She had been hoping to raise the issue of the Glee club with Finn during their walk to school, but she didn't feel prepared to bring it up in mixed company.

Lunch was also out. Whereas she and Finn used to eat lunch by themselves, his new status had garnered them an invitation to the upperclassmen jock table. Much like at Santana's party, and during the morning car ride, she felt like an afterthought, tucked alongside Finn with nothing to add to the proceedings. The jocks weren't affirmatively mean to her, but they didn't engage her in conversation as they did the cheerleaders or female athletes... and the cheerleaders and female athletes were similarly ignorant of her presence. Although she was happy to support her boyfriend, she didn't enjoy being a mere accessory.

But it's something she needed to get used to, she realized. Ryan Monahan's ankle injury would keep him off the field for at least a month, meaning that Finn would likely remain the starting quarterback through the playoffs. And, of course, he was expected to continue the job the following year as a junior.

She hoped that they could both adjust to the new circumstances afforded by his success.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Finn sat at his mother's dining room table, trying as hard as he could to concentrate on his algebra homework.

"Can I ask you something?" Rachel asked suddenly, looking up from her world history notes.

"Sure," Finn said, happy for the distraction as well as the opportunity to listen to whatever his lovely girlfriend had to say.

"Well, you may have heard that Figgins recouped some funds from the Cheerios and directed them towards after-school music activities," she began, "and we've decided to try to field a competitive glee club."

"That's great, Rach!" Finn said, excited for her. "I'm sure you'll get all the solos."

"That's the hope," she said, blushing. "But there's more."

"Okay..."

"Um, well, we need more people to join to be eligible for competitions, and Mercedes heard you sing that time a few weeks ago. So, she suggested that maybe you could do it with us. And ask some of your friends to join, too." She exhaled, smiling hopefully.

Finn blew out an uneasy breath, thinking over what she just said. "I don't know, Rach..."

Her face fell. "I know it would be a bit of a time commitment, but the football season will only go on for a few more weeks even if you go all the way to the conference finals. So you and Noah and the other guys could rehearse sparsely until your season ends, and join us full-time after that."

"That's a good plan, but... I'm the starting QB now. That comes with certain... expectations."

Rachel's brow knitted, and not in the good way like when she got a super fun idea. "What does that mean?!"

"Just that I can't join something like glee club. It's nothing against you or your friends, I like them a lot, but... I mean how would that look? What would people think?!"

Finn winced as Rachel huffed and crossed her arms.

"What would they think?!" she repeated. "They'd _think_ that you were expanding your horizons, engaging in artistic expression, or at the very least supporting your girlfriend's endeavors," she said angrily, as if it were the most obvious fact in the world.

"I can support you in other ways! It's not like you joined the football team with me!" Finn stammered, groping for any logic seemingly on his side.

"I wish I could have," Rachel snickered. "It'd be better than the current circumstance in which my role of 'supporting' you consists of shouting your name in the freezing cold and accompanying you to parties where I can force myself to laugh at Noah's fart jokes!"

"Huh?" Finn couldn't keep up with what was happening.

"I expected you to balk at the idea about the time commitment," Rachel said as she quickly gathered her things. "But I didn't expect you to be so concerned about how joining glee club might 'look.' It's like you won one football game and became a completely different person."

The disappointment in her eyes cut right through him and he reached for her, trying to gain some kind of a handle on the situation. "Rach, I—"

"Tell your mom thanks for dinner," she said through a tearful scowl before she pulled away, walking swiftly out of the room and out the front door.

Carole came into the room carrying a basket of laundry just as Rachel was making her dramatic exit.

"What happened here?" she asked.

"Ugh, I screwed up, Mom!" Finn groaned, rubbing his temples.

"Yeah, I can see that," Carole said with a raised eyebrow, letting her sarcasm hang in the air for a beat. Then she sat down at the table and patted her son's knee. "Let's find a way to fix it, hmm?"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"You're all set," Artie said discretely, adding a wink as he rolled past Finn's locker two days later.

Rachel wasn't answering his calls or texts, so he had to use other channels to make sure she met him in the auditorium that afternoon.

Confident that Artie had convinced her to show up, Finn hurried to the stage. There, he connected an amplifier, microphone, and backing CD in the same way Artie had shown him earlier. Then he paced nervously, the minutes feeling like hours until he heard footsteps.

"What's going on, Finn?" Rachel asked sternly as she walked down one of the aisles, stopping when she reached the front of the seating area.

"Please sit for a minute? I figured this was the best way to explain myself."

Rachel squinted curiously when she noticed the microphone in his hand. After a beat, she sighed and sat down in the first row.

Finn hit "PLAY" on the stereo, and the music started. After the intro, he started to sing.

_Hope dangles on a string like slow spinning redemption_  
_Winding in and winding out, the shine of it has caught my eye_  
_And roped me in, so mesmerizing and so hypnotizing_  
_I am captivated, I am_

_Vindicated, I am selfish, I am wrong, I am right_  
_I swear I'm right, swear I knew it all along_  
_And I am flawed but I am cleaning up so well_  
_I am seeing in me now the things you swore, you saw yourself_

_So clear like the diamond in your ring, cut to mirror your intention_  
_Over sized and overwhelmed, the shine of which has caught my eye_  
_And rendered me so isolated and so motivated_  
_I am certain now that I am_

_Vindicated, I am selfish, I am wrong, I am right_  
_I swear I'm right, swear I knew it all along_  
_And I am flawed but I am cleaning up so well_  
_I am seeing in me now the things you swore, you saw yourself_

_So turn up the corners of your lips_  
_Part them and feel my finger tips_  
_Trace the moment, fall forever_

_Defense is paper thin_  
_Just one touch and I'll be in_  
_Too deep now to ever swim against the current_

_So let me slip away, so let me slip away_  
_So let me slip away, so let me slip against the current_  
_So let me slip away, so let me slip away_  
_So let me slip away, so let me slip away_

_Vindicated, I am selfish, I am wrong, I am right_  
_I swear I'm right, swear I knew it all along_  
_And I am flawed, but I am cleaning up so well_  
_I am seeing in me now the things you swore, you saw yourself_

_Slight hope dangles on a string_  
_Like slow spinning redemption_

When he finished, she stood from her seat with a wistful expression on her face. "Finn, you—"

"No, let me go first," he insisted, hopping down off the stage and approaching her. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said what I said. You're right that the time commitment of both football and glee is what makes me nervous... but it's more than that. My dedication to the team might be questioned if I split my time between that and glee club. And it could mean losing the starting QB job for next year. That's also why I've been trying to hang out with the guys a lot, just so they get to know me a little better and think of me as a leader."

"I owe you an apology as well. I know you're under a lot of pressure with the playoffs coming up and Ryan being injured. I didn't realize that you were also worried about next year, but that makes a lot of sense."

Finn managed a half-smile, reaching out to hold her hand. "Well, I'm mostly sorry that this football stuff has changed our relationship or the way you think of me. I guess I don't say it enough, but you support me in so many ways. All of the stuff you've told me about performing helped me focus during the game last weekend, and just knowing you were there gave me the confidence to do my best. I can't even imagine what I'd do without you." He swallowed, trying to fight against the tightening in the back of his throat.

Rachel blinked and leaned forward to kiss him. "You don't have to worry about that. I'm here, and happy to support you however I can." She affectionately cupped his cheek with her free hand.

Finn felt his heart swell as he leaned his face into her palm, snaking his arms around her waist to pull her closer to him. "And _I _am happy to return the favor by joining glee club," he said matter-of-factly.

"What?!" Rachel exclaimed, her eyes lighting up before falling again. "Are you _sure_?"

He exhaled. "Yeah. It's something I wanna do. When we were hanging out in the park I was just singing for fun, but if you and Mercedes think I'm good at it, why not give it a try?"

"But what about football?" Rachel asked, her eyebrow cocked slightly. Finn felt her hands playing nervously with the back hem of his polo shirt.

"I talked to Coach Beiste, and she said she'd never hold it against a player if he wanted to do other school-related activities. I still need to go to practices and workouts so it'd be helpful if most glee rehearsals aren't at the same time, but it's something we can work out."

Rachel's mouth stretched into a wide smile and she clapped her hands excitedly before kissing him again.

"Also, you could've said something sooner about being uncomfortable around the guys. I know they're really gross sometimes, but they're harmless." He paused. "You'll have plenty of time to talk to Mike and Puck pretty soon. I convinced them to join glee also."

"Finn! That's amazing! I mean, we'll need to hold an informal audition process to make sure that their talent comports with the goals of the group, but I'm sure they'll be more than adequate," she explained, threading her fingers through his while they started towards the exit. "It means so much that you even asked them. Really."

Finn squeezed her hand gently. "Anything for you, babe. Really."

She smiled up at him, beaming as they left the auditorium.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

_**I'm really enjoying writing this AU, and I'm planning on at least two more chapters. Your reviews mean the world. **_

_**Oh, and the song lyrics are from Dashboard Confessional's "Vindicated."  
**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello! At long last, I'm delighted to finally post the longest chapter I've written for any of my stories, ever. I hope it makes up for the wait. **

**Emily and Eera both deserve medals for looking over this monstrosity and helping me iron out a major kink that was preventing me from finishing and posting. That said, I don't think any of us looked it over with a fine-toothed comb, so I take responsibility for all typos and stuff like that.**

**See prior chapters for disclaimers. This is still AU, picking up just prior to the beginning of junior year. Oh, and this installment is rated M. ;-)**

/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\

Rachel sat in the backseat of her parents' car, growing more and more apprehensive as they passed the familiar sites of Lima. She was returning home after having spent eight weeks away at Northwestern University's musical theater summer workshop.

"So, sweet pea, what's the first thing you'd like to do after you unpack? See your girlfriends? Or Finn?"

"Hiram!" Leroy growled quietly through gritted teeth.

"What?" the other man protested innocently at a similar volume. "They've been best friends since they were in kindergarten. She might want to see him despite recent... events."

"It's fine, Dad," Rachel insisted from the backseat. (What _is_ it about parents that makes them think their kids can't hear their lame attempts to whisper?!) "Perhaps after I get situated and make more definitive plans with Mercedes and Kurt for tomorrow I will go over to see how Finn's summer was." She said it confidently, and didn't miss her Papa's gloatingly raised eyebrows as he steered the car into their development. Once they moved on to discussing the grocery list for the week, though, she allowed the feelings of anxiety to return.

The day prior to her departure for the program in early July, Finn had insisted that they break up. Not having expected it at all, Rachel had been completely caught off-guard.

"_What?! Did I – did I do something to upset you? Is it because I decided to go with bangs in the spring? Or because I'm too short? Or due to my overly driven actions as glee club captain?!"_

"_No, Rach, you're perfect," Finn placated her sweetly. "Which is exactly why you need to go off to this program without my Lima Loser ass weighing you down."_

Rachel had obviously assured him that he was not a loser, and that their relationship was going to play a key role in her future success. But he held fast to his conclusion that she'd have a better time if she wasn't preoccupied with someone five hours away.

"_How about this: We take a break for the summer. When I get back, we'll see where we are."_

"_A break," Finn repeated, then pursed his lips in thought as he pondered the suggestion. "That sounds... okay. Just... promise you'll wow the pants off of the Chicago fuckers, without worrying about me."_

_Rachel rolled her eyes at his use of crass language, but stepped forward to take his hand. "I promise – but you need to promise me that, whatever happens, we'll always be friends."_

"_Rach..." he said softly, clearly choked up. "Of course."_

That's how they'd left things. Rachel hated the Northwestern program the first week. She missed Finn, her friends, her dads, and it was jarring to be surrounded by so many similarly driven and talent people who her Papa would describe as "Type A". But once she got used to the environment she made a few friends and felt comfortable enough to throw herself into her vocal seminars and musical auditions.

Unpacking took her through various mementos from the experience – her name tag from orientation day, ticket stubs from the college-level production of Hamlet, a strip of photobooth images from a day at Navy Pier.

Of course, she cringed at the memory of what happened later that same day. While on line for the ferris wheel, Rachel and her friends met some guys studying at University of Illinois-Chicago who invited them to a party that night. Still a little homesick and trying to find her way, Rachel went along with the other girls who wanted to accept the invitation. She then proceeded to drown her insecurities in something called "jungle juice" and kissed some boy whose name she didn't even remember in the morning.

It was supposed to make her forget about Finn, but that didn't exactly go as planned since the next day she saw that he called her during the party. She didn't remember speaking to him but evidently she'd answered the phone and their call lasted for 27 seconds. They hadn't defined what sort of communications they would engage in during their summer "break," but from then on they exchanged only occasional brief meaningless small-talk text messages.

Nonetheless, she'd gone on to have an amazing and successful summer as per their promise. She came in second in the end-of-summer vocal competition, and earned the role of Tzeitel in the program's production of Fiddler on the Roof. Now that she was back, it was time to reassess.

Mercedes informed her that Santana was having a party the following night, and they made plans to spend the day together, along with Kurt, prior to the affair.

With that squared away, Rachel slid her now empty suitcase under her bed and put away a few stray items before descending to the living room and informing her dads that she was going to Finn's.

The walk down the street seemed endless but then she was ringing the doorbell and finally, there he was: tall, broad, messy-haired, and kind-eyed, right in front of her.

"Hey Rach," he said, pulling her into a tight hug that made her whole body feel warm all over. But when she leaned up to kiss him he craned his head back, patting her shoulders a little and laughing awkwardly.

"Um, hi," she replied, trying to smile through her disappointment. "How was your summer?"

Finn shrugged, taking a step back so they could both enter the house. "It was all right, I guess," he began as he led her to the living room. "I didn't exactly have high hopes for the job at Sheets N' Things but it didn't totally suck. Football's been a bitch, though. Beiste says we weren't tough enough last year so she added extra weight training." With that he sat down at one end of the couch.

Rachel followed suit and sat at the opposite end.

Her stomach clenched at the memory of lazy afternoons spent cuddled up on that same couch, and the palpable uneasiness that distinguished this instance from those before.

"How about you?" Finn asked, absently toying with a loose thread on the couch cushion between them. "I'm sure you killed the Northwestern program."

Rachel smiled, blushing. "Well, I _did_ get one of the lead roles in the musical."

"That's awesome, Rach." The pride on Finn's face was evident, and her heart swelled in the way that only his support could make it.

They chatted pleasantly, sharing more details of their summer experiences. In some way Rachel felt like she was re-entering her body, never before having gone so long without talking to him (texts about the weather aside). After a while, though, she was tired of ignoring the tension between them.

"So... where does this leave us?" she asked, her face innocent and calm despite her anxious heart.

"Aww, Rach, I don't know..." Finn began, his face falling.

She steeled herself, trying to cope with the reality that Finn no longer wanted to be her boyfriend.

"I just... We both have so much going on, like glee club, and your zillion extra-curriculars and performing stuff, and me with football... and Miss Pillsbury came in to talk to all the junior athletes about how this is a big year for grades and SAT prep and resume-building in preparation for applying to college." He was picking at the thread vigorously. "I don't want to get in the way of all of that for you."

"Finn, is that what you think? That you just 'get in my way'? I'm sorry if I ever gave you that impression because it couldn't be farther from the truth. If anything, you support me and make me do everything better." She was starting to panic, not sure what she had to do or say to convince him.

"I know, I know, and I'm glad you feel that way. But that was before, and things are about to get busier, and more... complicated. And I think that we'll be better as friends while all of that is happening."

Rachel took a deep breath, studying his winsomely pained face.

The fleeting thought entered her head that he had hooked up with someone else while she was away, but she tried to trust her gut instinct that the boy on the couch with her was still her sweet and innocent Finn. Although she was suspicious about the reasoning behind everything he'd said, she quickly banished the mental image of him pulling into the school parking lot with Quinn Fabray in the front seat of his truck.

"If that's how you feel, I suppose I'm not going to be able to change your mind," she said calmly. "I'll see you at Santana's tomorrow night?" she asked, standing.

"Uh, yeah, I'll be there," he answered quickly, getting up and following her as she walked back towards the front door.

"Great. So, tomorrow, then."

"Yeah," he replied, a small smile not quite reaching his eyes as he opened the door for her. "Bye, Rach."

"Bye, Finn." She quickly strode down the steps, not looking back as she allowed the tears to sting the backs of her eyelids.

By the time she reached her own front door, though, she had found a new resolve.

If this is what he wanted, space so they could pursue their passions separately, then that's what she'd give him.

/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\

Finn swallowed a generous gulp of beer, hoping it would numb the uneasy feelings overtaking his body amidst the chaos of another loud house party at Santana's. He'd just taken his turn in beer pong and was waiting for Puck to do the same. Across the living room, he saw Rachel, Tina, and Mercedes passionately singing along with a pop song playing over the stereo.

He'd been laying low most of the summer, focusing on football practice and working as many hours as he could manage. If he had a prayer of going to college it would be on an athletic scholarship, and even that wouldn't cover all the expenses so he needed to start saving.

Puck took a step back from the table and followed Finn's gaze. "Yo, I was surprised to see Berry roll in with Jones and Hummel before," he commented as they waited for their opponents to shoot. "Figured you and her would be attached at the ass – or lips – now that she's back from her summer thing."

Finn winced as he took another swig of beer, still looking in her direction. "Heh, well, we're not back together, if that's what you mean."

"All right, Hudson!" the other boy exclaimed, slapping him on the back. "I like Berry because she's a fellow Hebrew and kinda sneaky-hot, but I'm glad you finally want to embrace your QB-stud status and play the field a little. If I can offer any pointers, you know—"

"Nah man, that's not it at all. It's... complicated."

Puck nodded absently before abruptly turning toward him. "Oh! Hey, does she still not know about your—"

"Shhhhh!" Finn cut him off, smacking him in the arm for good measure. Thankfully, Rachel was totally absorbed in her activities and paying absolutely no attention to their game or conversation. "Nah dude. I couldn't tell her. I said that we should stay broken up because we'll both have too much going on this year and stuff."

With that, their opponents sank a final shot to win the game. They celebrated their victory by high-fiving and chest-bumping.

"That doesn't sound 'complicated' so much as it sounds 'super lame,'" Puck opined while he and Finn divided up the beer remaining in the wake of the defeat.

"Something like that," Finn muttered before trudging over to another adjacent room where the OSU game was playing on a big-screen TV.

Later that night, as things were quieting down a bit, Finn was in the kitchen rinsing out empty beer cans and dumping out half-empty red Solo cups and generally trying to be a good guy about the mess they'd all made.

He was searching a cabinet for an empty garbage bag when Kurt sauntered in.

"You looking for a new trash bag?" the well-dressed teen asked after looking for a place to deposit some used cups and dishware.

"Yeah," Finn answered, steadying a stack of Tupperware containers before closing that door.

Kurt started opening some of the lower drawers until he came to one containing the bags.

"I had an interesting conversation with Rachel earlier today," he said casually as he took a bag out of the box and opened it up.

"Dude!" Finn exclaimed in a whisper. "You said you wouldn't!"

"Calm down," Kurt insisted, holding the bag open while Finn deposited some dirty plates inside of it. "I'm merely referring to the fact that she said that she saw you and recounted your conversation, but it seems a certain topic didn't come up."

"Uh, yeah," Finn answered awkwardly, busying himself by the sink once again.

"Finn! You specifically said that you were going to tell her, because of how important it is to your relationship that she find out from you."

Finn whirled around. "It _is _important, Kurt. I just couldn't bring it up yesterday." His face softened. "It was just... too hard."

Kurt took a deep breath and gave him a sympathetic gaze. "Well, please just keep in mind that it's very hard for me to avoid discussing something so significant whenever Rachel happens to be around."

Having said his peace, Kurt set the newly-started trash bag down on the floor and walked out of the kitchen, leaving Finn alone with his conflicted heart.

/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\

Determined to stick to her guns, Rachel threw herself headlong into performance activities and other extracurricular clubs as soon as the school year began. As she was now finally approaching the proper age, that included driver's ed. She also began studying for the PSATs to improve her outside chance at a national merit scholarship. She found that studying vocabulary flashcards while on the elliptical each morning made for a fantastic multitasking arrangement.

As he'd anticipated, Finn was also very busy. Rachel often left school while afternoon football practice raged on, Beiste working the players mercilessly. Apparently she viewed their abbreviated playoff run the prior year as something of a fluke, and didn't want them to get complacent. As someone who believed that achievement results from pushing oneself (and others) to the max, Rachel appreciated the approach. One particular day, though, she happened to pass by the field during a rare water break. In seeing Finn's pained, sweaty, exhausted face, she wanted to shout encouragement or comfort him with an affectionate gesture. Instead, when they made eye contact the best she could do was a simple wave and small smile. Finn nodded back sheepishly in response.

They still saw each other at glee rehearsal, but the football players were only able to attend once per week. The arrangement had worked pretty well the year before, with the group members' various talents coming together under Mr. Schue's at-times brilliant tutelage to handily win sectionals. Regionals, though, was another matter. Rachel thought they'd given the performance of a lifetime, but evidently the judges preferred the melodramatic antics of Jesse and Vocal Adrenaline.

With Jesse having graduated, Rachel saw the new year as an opportunity to make a better showing. Realizing that this effort started with her, she pressed on with her individual vocal practices as often as she could amidst her other activities.

One Saturday morning she was taking advantage of her fathers being out at a company picnic and running through her scales. This peace and quiet was interrupted, however, when she heard the telltale beeping of a truck backing up down the street. She waited as patiently as she could for that to cease, but after a moment of quiet an incessant banging noise replaced the beeping of the truck.

Annoyed, Rachel trudged out of her house and followed the sound of the banging, which was apparently coming from the vicinity of Finn's yard. As she got closer, she saw that a large wooden post was being planted right into the middle of the front lawn, with something attached to it.

The _something _was a sign for a local realty company, the big "FOR SALE" below it sending invisible arrows into her heart.

Out of pure instinct she looked up to Finn's bedroom window, where she saw his withdrawn face gazing down on her.

After that she just tried to make it back to her house before becoming completely hysterical.

/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\

"Rach! Rachel!" Finn gulped, choking back his own tears as he rang the Berrys' doorbell repeatedly. "Please just let me in so we can talk! Please..."

"Talk about _what_?!" she called from the other side of the door, her voice audibly reflecting the distress he couldn't see.

Finn exhaled, trying to will himself into being strong. "E-everything," he managed with a wince.

The door opened just a crack at first, as if he might be a serial killer and she was afraid to let him in. Then she opened it the rest of the way and flung herself at him.

"Hey..." he said soothingly, cradling her to his chest as he stepped into the house and closed the door behind them with his foot.

Her only response was sob and a sniffle.

"It's gonna be fine, Rach," he added as he stroked her hair. "Let's just—let's just talk, okay?"

Rachel nodded, biting her lip and motioning to the living room.

He let her sit down first, giving her the opportunity to set the tone for their discussion so he didn't accidentally upset her even more.

"So... just... give it to me straight," Rachel said, turning towards him. "Is it California? Florida? I figure it can't possibly be somewhere further away than that... Can it?!"

"Uh, no..." Finn began. "It's, uh, the other side of town. In Lima."

He almost laughed at the confused look she got on her face.

"My mom, um, has been d-dating Burt Hummel the past few months." He still wasn't used to the idea and it was so weird to say out loud.

"Kurt's dad?!"

"Yeah," Finn replied, smiling through his own persistent disbelief. "I didn't believe it either at first, since it seemed like too odd a coincidence. But she had to get some work done on her car, they got to talking, and... yeah." He shrugged sheepishly.

"And now they want to move in together? Why didn't you mention any of this? Is _that _why you broke it off with me before I went away?!" Rachel's voice was on the verge of her scarier tone.

"No," he insisted, trying to remain calm so that she did too. "I didn't even know about it until after you'd left for Chicago." He swallowed. "I called you the night I found out, but you must have been at a party or something because it was really loud and the only thing I could hear you saying was something about how the jungle juice was pink."

"Ohhh, Finn," she drawled, her voice laced with despair and remorse while she buried her face in her hands. "I'm so _sorry_. The jungle juice _was_ pink and it seemed like a good idea at the time but that stuff is _strong_ and I don't even remember talking to you when you called and I'm just _**awful**_."

"Rach, it's okay," he assured her, smiling meekly at the memory of how cute she'd sounded slurring her words. "It confirmed that you were out doing your own thing in Chicago like we'd planned. No harm, no foul."

"Still, I should have been there for you as a friend," she insisted, taking a deep breath and wiping her eyes. "That's why you were so distant for the rest of the summer," she added softly, as if to herself.

He shrugged. "I didn't want to bother you and your big-time experience with my small-time problems."

"_Finn_," she said firmly, reaching over from across the couch to take his hand. "Your problems are never too small for me to care about, no matter where I am."

"Yeah, I get that now," he admitted, feeling both grateful and confused by the fact that he had the support of such an amazing girl even though he could be such a dope. "But when you first got back... it just seemed easier to keep that distance while all of this was going on. Which was also stupid, I realize now," he explained, squeezing her hand.

"Pft, yeah," she scoffed, rolling her eyes.

The rare sarcastic moment made him smile.

"I don't want to be distanced from you if it means you need to go through such a big life-change on your own," she added, moving closer to him on the couch as if to emphasize her point. "You talked with someone else about it before now, I hope?"

"I mentioned it to Puck. He said his mom never had any interest in dating anyone, and that he'd love it if she got out more."

Rachel smirked a little. "What about Kurt?" she asked curiously. "He didn't mention anything about it to me, either."

"Yeah, I, uh, asked him not to." Finn rubbed the back of his neck at the admission. "And you know how he is. At first he made a lot of sarcastic comments about the situation being like something out of a sitcom. Now, he's mostly just all afool, like he doesn't care about it at all."

"_Aloof_, Finn. The word is '_aloof'_," Rachel corrected him through giggles, playfully kicking his shin with her tiny sock-covered foot. He laughed as well before they both grew silent. "And how do _you _feel?"

Finn sighed, releasing Rachel's hand so he could wrap his arm around her shoulder.

It felt so good to have her pressed up against him again that he couldn't believe he'd tried to cast her off.

"It's just such a big change, you know? Burt's cool and everything, but I was just getting used to having him – and Kurt, I guess – around in that way. And, I mean, we've lived in our house since as far back as I can remember. To just pick up and move across town like it's nothing..."

"You and your mom discussed it at some point, right?"

He swallowed uneasily. "She sat me down when I figured out they were seeing each other. I guess she realizes how awkward it was for me when she was kinda dating Rod, that guy who did the lawn, only to have him disappear one day. She said that I'm growing up to be a great man, and that she's not trying to replace me, or my dad, but just trying to be happy."

"That sounds like what she'd say," Rachel commented, leaning her head on his chest. "Very heartfelt and wise but also practical."

"With the move, she basically said that she didn't want to cause me any trouble, but that she and Burt are getting pretty serious and 'consolidating households' makes sense. And she said it could be much worse, like if she had taken a job in another state or something."

"That's true," Rachel remarked. "Seeing that sign sent the absolute worst thoughts flashing through my mind, of you and your mom moving to Texas or Alaska or _Guatemala_!" she explained with a flourish.

Finn chuckled sheepishly. "I have _no_ idea where that last place is."

"I know," Rachel laughed, playfully patting his knee.

Then they were silent for a moment until he spoke again.

"So... what does this mean?" They were snuggling as if they were dating again, even though he wasn't sure if she was still mad.

While those thoughts swam around in his head, Rachel sat up and turned to him. He studied her face as she seemed to be studying his, before she suddenly leaned in and pressed their mouths together in a searing kiss.

When they pulled apart for air, she stared at him again, a tentative smile on her face.

He brushed a few stray hairs away from her eyes. "I missed you _so_ much, Rach."

Her smile grew to its usual megawatt proportions. "I missed you too, Finn."

/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\

They fell back into their old habits and patterns pretty easily, or at least as much as their busier schedules allowed, and Rachel couldn't have been happier. It had been quite the roller coaster what with her summer away, her first attempt at reconciling with Finn only to be shut out by him, and the shock of learning that he and Carole were moving. The upside, of course, was that they were only moving across town, and that her momentary panic had led to her and Finn becoming a couple once again.

With that settled, she was determined to help Finn through the transition in any way she could.

Which was why she was ringing his doorbell at 10 AM on a Sunday, armed with a legal pad and colored pens.

While she waited for someone to answer the door, Rachel observed that Carole's car was gone from the driveway and that in all likelihood it would be Finn greeting her.

Sure enough, she heard the telltale signs of his enormous body descending the stairs. The the door opened to reveal his pajama-clad, messy-hair, half-asleep state.

"Good morning!" she exclaimed with unbridled enthusiasm.

"Mornin', Rach," he said through a yawn as he stepped aside to let her in, rubbing his eyes in childlike fashion before he leaned down to kiss her softly. "Uh, what are you doing here so early?"

"Early?! Finn, it's 10 AM. You texted me goodnight at 12:15 last night, meaning you've gotten well past the AMA-recommended eight hours of sleep per night," she insisted. "As for why I'm here, I thought I would help you organize your belongings in anticipation of your move. I realize that there's no need to box everything up yet, but I was reading about this online and it seems that pre-packing organization, chiefly the discarding of unwanted items, is the key to easy packing success."

Finn exhaled, his eyes wide as he absorbed all of the information she had dispensed. Then a smile settled onto his face. "Thanks, Rach. Can I just have, like, a few minutes to wake up, maybe shower and eat something?"

She smiled back. "Of course! I'd be more than happy to get started while you accomplish those tasks."

Finn rolled his eyes a little before he started up the stairs, with her following behind. "You're so weird," he joked.

"I know."

When they reached Finn's room, Rachel made herself comfortable at his desk chair, surveying the surface of messily piled papers.

Meanwhile, Finn stripped out of his James Garfield Middle School football t-shirt and flannel boxer shorts, leaving him completely naked. It was the first time Rachel had seen him in such a state in the light of day, and she tried not to stare as he casually threw a bath towel over his shoulder.

"Sure you don't wanna join me?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"_Finn!_ Your mother could come home at any moment; I do _not_ want to be found in such a compromising position," she explained, trying to keep from blushing in the face of his stark nudity. "Besides, I already showered before I came over."

"Fine..." he said, feigning insult before he stepped towards his desk and kissed the top of her head. "I'll be back in a few minutes... unless you decide to take me up on the offer."

Rachel chuckled impatiently and shook her head. "Go," she urged, giving a little pinch to his hip and a gentle shove. He fought through it and kissed her lips softly before finally exiting his bedroom and trudging down the hall.

Once she heard the bathroom door close, she exhaled and closed her eyes, willing herself to think about what she was doing and not her boyfriend's bare... everything.

By the time Finn returned from the shower (the towel safely around his waist this time) Rachel was completely absorbed in clean-up.

"Okay," she began while he got dressed, "I made a pile of old school-related papers that you can probably throw out – mostly just old fliers and silly worksheets I'm not even sure why you saved. Then I organized all of your more serious work-product by year, broken down by subject, in reverse chronological order. Everything is listed here." She patted the pile, at the top of which was a sheet from her legal pad adorned in her neat handwriting.

Finn pulled his shirt down over his head and stared at Rachel like she had three of them, but she was undeterred.

"I also went through your school supplies and knickknacks and isolated things that you might want to save as memorabilia but not necessarily in your desk." She gestured to the surface of the desk, which contained a neat pile of movie ticket stubs, name tags from school events, and small figurines.

"Hey, I forgot I had these guys!" he exclaimed, reaching for a fake tarantula and waving it in Rachel's face.

"Eww, Finn, no!" she insisted, swatting him and the offending toy away.

"C'mon, Rach. It's fake," he said soothingly.

She scoffed. "Still gross."

After kissing her temple sweetly, Finn went to his closet and retrieved a shoe box, into which he placed the stray items on his desk. With that they moved onto his bookshelf, which was strewn with similar random items that found their way into the trash or the shoebox.

"Ooooh, yay!" Rachel exclaimed when she came across a small box of photos. She situated herself on the bed to begin leafing through them. Finn sat behind her and she leaned against his chest so that he could look over her shoulder while she did so. The prints were like a flip-book of their childhood, with shots of Finn and Rachel around their houses, at various neighborhood events, and with their parents at joint family outings throughout the years. Rachel ooh-ed and aah-ed through shots of them on hay rides, making snowmen, giving impromptu performances, playing in the kiddie pool...

Her breath hitched when she came to a set from their middle school graduation celebration. In one of the photos, Noah was teasing Rachel while Finn stared at her adoringly. In another, the two boys were posing for a semi-serious shot (likely at the behest of their mothers) while Rachel gazed at Finn with stars in her eyes.

"I guess we felt this way about each other before we even realized what it meant," Finn said softly, tightening his arm around her shoulder.

When she turned to look at him he was smiling sheepishly, his lopsided grin and kind eyes setting her heart ablaze.

In that moment, she found herself overcome by every emotion possible – lucky to have found a romantic partner in her best friend, sad that he was moving to a new house and that their lives were destined to change, excited at the possibilities that the future might hold for them, lust from the way he was holding her, desperate to try and hang onto every last possible memory of their current circumstances...

With that she kissed him, hard and deep, shifting her body so she could sit on his lap. He hummed into her mouth and their kisses quickly grew feverish. She could feel him hardening underneath her and the reminder of the effect she had on him never failed to stoke the fire within her.

Her fingers played in his soft hair while they got lost in each other.

"We should have sex," she mumbled against his lips between heated kisses.

To her utter dismay, Finn pulled back, his hands cradling either side of her jaw. "What? Now? Here?!"

"Well, yes," Rachel answered matter-of-factly, sitting up a little straighter and smoothing her hair behind her ears. "Why—do you not want to have sex with me?" She tried to stop her lower lip from quivering while she asked the dreaded question.

"Rachel. Of course I do," Finn insisted, gesturing to the situation that had developed in his pants.

She failed to see his point, considering they usually solved that another way. "What, then?"

Finn exhaled. "I guess I just don't want to rush it. I always figured I'd make it special for you, like on your birthday or after prom or something. I wanted to save up money for a hotel." He looked down shyly before a smirk crossed his lips. "Besides, weren't you worried about my mom coming home and catching us in a tranquilizing position?"

Rachel burst into laughter. "_Compromising_, Finn!"

"Whatever..." he said, playing with the ends of her hair.

"This would be special," she went on. "We've been reminiscing about our past all day, and who knows how much longer you'll be living here in this house, and then after that everything will change..." she let herself trail off, gulping back the growing lump in her throat.

"Hey," Finn said, trying to comfort her. "We've talked about this. I'm just moving across town, and we'll see each other at school every day like always. Plus I have the truck now, so I can come hang out or pick you up whenever you want." He wrapped his arms around her again. "Whatever changes are coming, we'll deal with them. My moving shouldn't be a reason to... rush anything."

Rachel sighed in recognition of his well-reasoned point. "I suppose we should give a little more thought to something so important," she conceded. "Who knew I could be so spontaneous?" she added with a giggle.

"Mmm," Finn responded, kissing her behind her ear. "It's totally hot..."

She allowed herself to get lost in his attention to her body. A half-hour later, when they were re-dressed and snuggling in front of _Braveheart_, she wasn't necessarily disappointed that they'd stuck with their usual activities and saved the bigger step for another time.

/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\

The rest of the fall was a complete blur, including Finn's leading the football team to the conference championship game and another sectionals victory for New Directions.

It took a while for his mom to find a buyer for the house, which he didn't mind so much since it meant things stayed the same for a little while longer. Rachel had agreed, but in a moment of anxiety she exclaimed that she was tired of waiting for the change to take place so they could move on to the next phase. He let her rant about "the purposeless extension of a futile status quo" until she admitted that she was just stressed about her physics midterm and he did his best to comfort her about that, too.

Finally, the sale was made, with the closing date set for the week right after Rachel's birthday. She'd grumbled to Finn about the irony; he merely kissed the top of her head and let her sigh into his chest before they got started on packing up his room.

"What do you want to do for your birthday, anyway?" he asked one afternoon in the car on the way home from Glee rehearsal.

Rachel shrugged. "Nothing special. I'm sure my dads will want to bring me breakfast in bed and spend the day watching Barbra movies, but in the evening..."

"I'll take you to dinner?" he interjected, glancing at her quickly before returning his eyes to the road.

"That would be lovely," she answered, resting her hand on his forearm in appreciation.

By the time the day arrived, most of their stuff had been boxed up and moved to the new house they'd be sharing with Burt and Kurt. The only few remaining items were in either of their bedrooms. Luckily, Finn's TV and X-Box were still there and he used them to pass the time that afternoon.

Around 5, his mom came in to say goodbye before her usual Saturday evening dinner-and-movie date with Burt.

"What time are you picking Rachel up?" she asked, sitting next to him on his bed.

"6," he answered, without looking up. Then the silence got to be too much and he paused the game. "What?" The way his mom was looking at him made him oddly nervous.

"Oh, nothing," she remarked with a sigh. "I sometimes can't believe you kids are growing up."

Finn shrugged, unsure if he needed to say something to prevent his mother from becoming emotional. Luckily, she seemed to snap out of it on her own.

"Well, give Rachel a birthday kiss from me," she said, leaning over and kissing Finn's cheek.

"I will, Mom," he assured her. "Have fun."

"You too, sweetie," she said as she stood to leave. "Oh, and Finn?" she asked from the doorway, waiting for him to look up at her. "Don't do anything stupid."

He felt his ears burning, embarrassed at having been given an impromptu Sex Talk... even if it was restricted to four words.

Once he heard his mother's car pull away, he set his plans for the evening in motion. By 6, the time he was supposed to be picking Rachel up, everything was in place.

/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\

Rachel was finishing the application of her lipstick when her phone rang and displayed Finn's picture to indicate that he was calling.

"Hello?" she answered, putting the cap back on the tube and returning it to the proper place in her makeup bag.

"Uh, hey, Rach," Finn began, "I know I said I'd pick you up, but do you mind coming over here before we leave? I need you to look at something. It'll only take a sec."

"Of course," Rachel replied cheerfully. "I'll just get my coat on and come over."

As she walked towards Finn's house she ruminated about what he could possibly need so urgently. She knew that the move was likely to overwhelm him on some level, so she wanted to be as supportive as possible... even if he merely wanted advice on how to pack his last remaining belongings.

She rang the doorbell, a shiver running through her as the late-fall chill bit into her bare face and stocking-clad legs.

After a few seconds, the door opened.

"Hey," he said casually as she stepped in before planting a kiss on her cheek. "That's from my mom. She says happy birthday."

"Oh, is she gone already? I was hoping to say hello," she said, disappointment in her voice before she looked around. "Finn, what...?"

The first floor of the home was nearly dark, the living room illuminated only by the light of the crackling fireplace and numerous candles spread throughout the empty space. There was a picnic blanket spread out in the center of the room, complete with two place settings, wicker basket, and champagne chiller (containing a bottle of what she presumed to be sparkling cider).

"I thought instead of going out, it might be nice to... stay in," Finn explained, helping her out of her coat and leading her into the room. "I got some of those veggie paninis you like, and some other good stuff for dessert. I know it's not that fancy but especially since I won't be living here for very much longer I thought–"

"It's perfect." In one motion she spun around to face him and stretched up to plant a soft kiss on his lips. "Really. I love it."

Finn smiled. "I love you."

"I love you too," Rachel responded, her cheeks now ablaze as they sat down on the blanket.

It wasn't until halfway through the meal that Rachel recalled their conversation of several months prior, about Finn's intent to make their first time coincide with a special occasion.

She glanced cautiously at Finn, catching his eye just as he was finishing a sufficiently large bite of panini and a bit of balsamic vinaigrette dribbled down his chin.

Embarrassed, he quickly grabbed a napkin and wiped his face while he swallowed. "Am I good? Did I get it all?" he asked, sticking his chin out as if for her inspection.

"Yes. You're perfect," she insisted, stroking his khaki-covered knee softly. He really was – his hair combed upward just the way she liked it, wearing the button-down shirt she'd gotten him for his last birthday, smiling sweetly at her in the faint glow of the fire and candles.

She fleetingly wondered if Carole would be coming home that night or staying at the Hummels'.

After they finished the sandwiches, Finn pulled out a tray of chocolate-covered strawberries that made Rachel's eyes widen in awe. Feeding them to each other quickly devolved into a heated makeout session. She was grateful that he'd thought ahead and saved a few cushions from his mother's now-discarded couch, so she was leaning against something soft instead of a thin blanket on hardwood floor.

Finn snaked his hands up under her dress and skimmed them over her stomach, but just before he reached the cups of her satin bra his phone beeped three times to indicate that he'd received a text message. He groaned and she whimpered as he pulled away to check it.

"Burt says my mom had two glasses of wine and is asleep on his couch so she'll be staying there tonight." He barely finished his sentence before he carelessly tossed his phone away and dove back in for an especially fervent kiss.

A surge of electricity ran through Rachel's body as Finn pressed her into the cushion. She swiftly threaded her fingers into his hair and instinctively arched against him in anticipation.

This time when his hands grazed her stomach they took the hem of her dress with them, exposing her already flushed skin to the warm air emanating from the still-blazing fire. Finn's long-sleeved shirt had found its way to the floor a while ago, and she managed to free him of his undershirt before he eagerly unhooked her bra and expertly palmed her chest.

"Mmmm," she sighed, lazily stroking his stomach and kissing his neck as he massaged her pert breasts. She playfully nipped his collarbone before he coaxed her face back up towards his and fused their mouths together again.

"Do you want to go upstairs?" he mumbled mid-kiss, his lower lip stuck squarely between her teeth.

"No..." she began, releasing his lip so she could snake her tongue into his mouth before adding, "let's just do it here."

Finn groaned into her mouth, rolling onto his back with Rachel clinging to chest and their tongues twirling in a passionate dance. He broke the kiss so he could whisk her dress up over her head, and they helped each other shed the remainder of their clothes in record time. Before tossing his pants onto the pile, Finn pulled a small square of foil out of one of the pockets.

He turned so they were both on their sides, facing each other, his eyes glued to hers. He resumed rubbing her breast with one hand while the other found its way between her legs. Rachel tried to relax, allowing the sensations to overtake her as she lost herself in Finn's loving gaze. His ministrations quickly had her chest heaving and her pulse racing with need.

"When- are you...?" he stammered.

"Ye-yes. I'm ready," she answered quietly, not so much nervous as overcome by desire.

Finn laid flat on his back, grasping her thighs and guiding her to straddle his legs. Rachel gave his gloriously rigid length a few strokes before she rolled the condom onto it and positioned him at her opening. Sinking down, she felt a twinge of pain at taking in his girth for the first time, but that quickly gave way to a feeling of exquisite fullness. Being so physically connected to Finn made her heart feel like it might burst, and she quickly became overwhelmed by the combination of searing heat in her loins and warm fuzziness in her chest.

"Finn..." she moaned as her hips rocked back and forth of their own accord, sending her slowly spiraling into a wondrous abyss of pleasure.

Finn started to thrust upward while she writhed atop him, gripping her hips and encouraging her to keep moving.

Wordless cries spilled from her throat as she tumbled through the ecstasy, fighting the instinct to close her eyes so that she could take in the experience with all of her senses.

"God, Rach," Finn grunted, pumping faster and faster until his entire body stiffened and shuddered and she felt him release into the condom.

She reached down, affectionately wiping the sweat from his brow while they caught their breath, eventually laying down on the blanket and snuggling into his side.

She thought about how crazy the last six months had been. It hadn't been easy, but the ups and downs had made their bond stronger than ever and this moment that much sweeter. Finn's upcoming move would be another challenge, but she felt confident that they could weather the next storm just as surely as those past.

"What are you thinking about?" Finn's soft voice interrupted her thoughts, his face looking especially angelic in the soft glow of the dwindling flames.

She couldn't have wiped the smile from her face if she tried. "How lucky I am."

/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\/\\

**Phew. A lot going on for Finchel in this chapter. Hope you enjoyed! Your reviews make me squee.**

**Also, FYI – the hilariously brief, impromptu Sex Talk that Finn received is identical to the one that my mother-in-law gave my husband before our senior prom. The other day would have been her birthday if she was still with us and I miss her so much. **


End file.
